Welcome

She sighed heavily as she watched his retreating back. He hadn’t been old enough to braid his hair last time she’d seen him. She started forward with a thought to signal her horse and Grak to follow.

Not that the greedy beggar equine needed it, he knew there was food and a warm stable waiting. Grak, on the other hand...

She didn’t know what to make of the strangely dressed orc. Though, not so strange for him to dress as a sorcerer. She’d witnessed his magics and power. He was completely strange to her. Her people were very close to the Kra’kish, sharing many rituals and beliefs. Unsurprising, given that the peoples had grown up together in the far, icy North.

From the little she’d paid attention to, Grak was strange even among his own people. She didn’t quite know what to make of him.

Then there was no more time to ponder, because the Kra’kesh remembered her, and welcomed her as if to home. Tears threatened to choke her. Tora, the chief medicine woman, put an arm around her shoulder, acting as a breakwater between the clamoring people and Kajivar.

“Hold yourselves back, you barbarians!” she shouted. “Can’t you see she needs some quality Sona time? Back! Back all of you men!” The women of the orcish village closed quiet ranks around her as she was hustled into the steam-house.

She tried to help as the stripped the furs away from her body, but only managed to get tangled. The girl laughed as she carefully worked Kajivar’s hand loose. Hands rubbed a cleansing mixture of plant oil and ashes into her skin and hair before pushing her into the next, hotter chamber. Multiple strathes scraped the cleansing mix from her skin. She sat back in the konsa chair as nearly scalding water was poured over her hair to release the mix from the strands.

Back on her feet, she braced herself. The final urn of chilled water sluiced over her skin. Goosebumps popped out from head to toe, but she felt truly clean for the first time in a long while. It was a far more comfortable Kajivar who walked out to the hot springs.

Submerged to her neck in mineral-smelling waters, tension started to ooze from her muscles. If she closed her eyes, she could pretend to forget.